Caught in Between

I’ve been spending my summer working for McKinsey, and most of the time I’ve been in D.C. Though slightly unexpected, this has given me the chance to catch up  with some other Hopkins kids and hear about what they’ve been doing this summer. Everyone seems to be doing something different and exciting.

My roommate, Laura, decided to stay on campus and finish her scary senior design lab for engineering while working in Admissions and doing research. My friend Dani is working two jobs, at a lobbying organization in DC and at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Another friend, Megan, is working for JP Morgan in New York and living a fabulous life in the NYU dorms. I ran into girls from my sorority, Phi Mu, in DC as well–one was working for a senator, another for a PR firm. My boyfriend is an analyst at a private equity firm and he’s working with Students for Huntsman, part of Jon Huntsman’s campaign for president.

It’s been great to see what everyone’s been up to for the summer, and as a now rising senior, it’s interesting to think about what we all want to do when we graduate. Most of you are just beginning your college years though, not thinking about their end, so with that in mind I thought I could recommend a few relevant bucket list items for the last summer before college.

1. Do nothing, at least for a little bit. Re-learn how to spend an entire day without a to-do list, and remember that this might be the last summer for a while you can do that

2. Spend some time with your family and high school friends, get to know your home town a bit better before you leave.

3. Make some money. Babysit, mow lawns, waitress, get a real job if you feel so inclined. Having some spending money come September will be incredible helpful.

4. Do something you haven’t done before. Whether it’s checking a weird item off of your life bucket list (bungee jumping, going to another country, driving stick shift) or taking a class, learning a language, or working a job you’ve never thought of before, this is a great summer to do something different, and you might see something that changes your mind.

5. Spend a bit of time thinking about college, not in the scary to-do list way, but as a big picture. Do some research about on-campus activities. Shoot your advisor an email. Contact kids from your home town or high school who attend Hopkins. Think about what you want to get out of your freshman year.

I hope you’re all having a great summer, wherever you may be and whatever you may be doing. Happy June!

Lauren

Ok, forgive me for that title. I don’t talk like that at all unless I’m imitating someone. Anyway,

“What’s your major?”

You’ll be asked this about a gabazillion times, regardless of where you go to college…because it is important. You go to college first and foremost to study something and to become proficient in it. So, ask me my major!

“I’m Public Health Studies, Natural Sciences.” (NOTE: the NATURAL SCIENCES/SOCIAL SCIENCES distinction no longer exist for the classes of 2013 and onward. The department did this to make the major more cohesive and more focused on public health.  Natural sciences merely meant that the pre med requirements were built in, and a number of upper level social science classes were still required on top of the Public Health core courses).

So most students who do Public Health Studies, Natural Sciences are pre med. (here’s a freshman year blog I wrote about what Public Health is: http://hopkins.typepad.com/2012ksas/2009/02/what-is-public-health-anyway.html check it out please!!! )

But I’m not.

ZOMG.

WHY???

Why put myself through the torture of Physics and Organic Chemistry if I have no intention of going to medical school? Especially if I am at the Johns Hopkins University?

Let’s be a bit more open minded, kids. Science does not have to automatically equal medical school.  So why did I do it?

• Options. I didn’t want to be pre med, but there was still the possibility of pre health professions–dentistry, veterinary med, and nursing. I can say that now I’ve no interest in any of those but as a freshman, I may have been.

• Self-enrichment. Science is useful! I wanted to be able to read a journal article and have a basic understanding of what was going on if a chemical reaction was mentioned or if a mechanism from organic chemistry was being explained….knowing what a carbon is or what different elements are/do is a useful thing, IMHO.

• Research? Unless you’re completely turned off by the thought of science and math and you know your paths will never cross after college, science may come back again in your work. In the form of research. You never know. I knew coming into college that I did not want whatever I ended up doing to ever completely exclude science (although I certainly did not want it to exclusively focus ON science either) , so I knew that studying them would benefit me. Now that I have completed the basic pre med/health requirements and their labs, I feel like I can handle research oriented jobs that have slight sciency and lab oriented components. I have more options. That was always the key for me–options.

• Teaching career!??! Teaching has been on my radar since high school, and it still is. I am not sure if I want to do it as a career or as a short term thing, like Teach for America–but it is something in which I am veryyyyy interested. And guess what–America has a shortage of good science (and math) teachers. Taking science courses will have prepared me for teaching science in schools! I couldn’t see myself teaching any other basic high school subject in good conscience because I don’t have the training or background for it. This factor is probably not important for most people but it may be for some and it certainly is for me.

I hope that gave some perspective! I am now off to get ready for our pre game rally to our Homecoming game against Loyola !

I leave you all with this very Public Healthy poster on our Hopkins shuttle:

Hello All,

Hope you’re enjoying the beginnings of spring! Here in Baltimore, it’s rained nearly non-stop since Spring Break.

Things have been busy here–my sorority initiated our newest pledge class, Spring Fair and SOHOP took over the Homewood Campus, I travelled home briefly, turned in a series of projects and papers, and celebrated both “regular” and Greek Orthodox Easters.The past few weeks have been interesting in a number of other ways as well. As I get older I cant help but feel that every semester at Hopkins gives me a different perspective on the school and its students. Every semester, I appreciate this place more.

April has been a bit of a strange month for me, and I’ve been trying to think of an appropriate, and meaningful way to talk about it here.

About two weeks ago, my sorority received some terrible news. Katie, a lovely girl the year younger than me passed away after a long, brave battle with cancer. Inevitably, this has colored the past few weeks for me in ways that have been both incredibly difficult, and surprisingly wonderful. At every turn, I have been nothing but impressed by the support, kindness and strength of everyone at this school.

My “little” in Phi Mu was very close to Katie. Upon hearing the news, my group of friends rallied around her to an extent that continues to amaze me. People dropped everything to make sure she was okay. Meals were delivered, classes skipped to give her company, baking occurred in bulk. It was incredible. I heard from old friends, acquaintances, my boss, faculty advisors. People reached out to me and to my friends, to our sorority as a whole.

By chance and circumstance, this month I have gotten the opportunity to spend a lot of time off campus and in “non-college” settings. Meeting the parents and siblings of long-term friends, seeing my big chatter away in Greek to her neighbors, attending a Catholic mass with a friend and her boyfriend for Easter, seeing my lovely little dance her heart out–in each of these situations I saw someone I thought I knew so well in a very new context.

Time and time again, on this blog and and at the Open Houses, I have said that the thing that first drew me to Hopkins was its students. Three years later, this is still true, and after these past few weeks, it has never been more important. I have been endlessly impressed and surprised by those with whom I am privileged enough to go to school.

I worried when I first arrived at Hopkins that I wouldn’t find my friends, those people with whom I was meant to spend my college years. Coming from a very small, very close high school, I fretted on the move-in-day drive that I could miss them. What if? I asked. What if I never find my friends? What if they’re on campus but I just never meet them? My Dad, logical and wise as ever, reassured me that though the school was new, and to me it was big, I would eventually find my friends and my “home.”

my wonderful roommate

I have.

Anywhere else, these past few weeks would have been intolerable. The support I received from friends was incredible. More than that, though, this experience has clarified how much of a home Hopkins has become for me. Sitting with the entire chapter of my sorority, hearing stories and jokes about Katie, celebrating her life, seeing those same girls motivate to raise nearly $10,000 in a week for cancer research, boarding a bus together a few days later to travel to New York for Katie and her family, I was stunned by how much I felt a part of this community. Watching my little steal the show at her dance performance last night, seeing her smile and throw herself into each dance, incredibly happy for the first time in weeks, I was overwhelmed. This place, these people, have become my home these past three years.

My Phi Mu "family" at Greek Easter today

As terrible timing would have it, two days after  Katie’s death, SOHOP arrived on campus, and my life transformed into a 24-hour-a-day Hopkins job. Becca and I braced ourselves for the day. There were few things we wanted to do less than bounce around campus fielding questions, and I worried that I would be overwhelmed. I spoke to family after family, though, and tentatively tried to tell them what had been going on in all of our lives those past few days. I spoke about how incredible my friends had been, how proud of everyone’s strength I was, and how the community had rallied around all of us.

Katie was an incredible member of the Hopkins community; we celebrate her life and we will continue to miss her so much. For those of us who remain, though,  this community here, whatever it was that first drew us to Hopkins and continues to keep us so happy, has been a great comfort. For me, this was, and continues to be, the people. I love the people at Hopkins and I can’t thank everyone enough for these past few weeks.

-Lauren B.

Hey there potential Class of 2015! Congratulations on your acceptance to Hopkins!

Over the next few weeks all of the bloggers will be posting on a common theme–”Why Hopkins?” We’ll tell you about ourselves, about our own decision to come here, and what we’ve made of our time at lovely Johns Hopkins. Feel free to ask any questions you may have, peruse the blogs for different perspectives, and good luck making your decision! We all hope to see you on the Homewood Campus this September.

Congrats again!

Get to know JHU_LaurenB…

my sister and I at home

1. Birthplace and current hometown: I was born in London, moved to the States at the end of the 90s, and my family now splits their time between Summit NJ and New York City.

2. Major(s)/Minor(s): Public Health Studies major, minors in Economics and English

3. When I grow up I want to…live in Africa, speak a bunch of languages, travel the world. Career plans still to be decided, but this summer I’m working for a consulting firm, which I’m really excited about!

4. Favorite place to eat in Baltimore: Carmas Café, Mezze or Woodberry Kitchen. Other top contenders include Brewer’s Art, Pazo, Salt, and my apartment on campus.

5. Favorite spot on the Homewood campus: Gilman Hall–completely renovated while I was abroad, Gilman has been a great addition to campus, with the added bonus (for me at least) of having great Gluten Free treats.

6. Favorite TV show: FRIENDS

7. Favorite color: Blue

My Hopkins Experience:

1. When did you know Hopkins was right for you? I fell in love with Hopkins slowly. I was fairly indecisive throughout the college process. Even as I turned in my deposit, I wasn’t sure this was the only, or best, place for me. My relationship with Hopkins developed over my freshman year. Only by actually living here, throwing myself into my classes, activities, and friendships, did I really know I had made the right choice. College is what you make of it, and I decided to love Johns Hopkins.

spring arrives at Hopkins!

2. What is one thing that would surprise your friends/family about Hopkins?

Our programs in History of Art and Writing Seminars are ranked in the Top 10 nationally.

3. If you were the University President, what is the first thing you would do or change?

I would love a Student Union. M Level of the library has sort of become this by default recently, which is great if you want to catch up with your friends, but slightly frustrating for actual homework. It’d be great to have somewhere on campus to catch up with your friends, grab a coffee or a meal.

4. If you could go back and choose your college again, would you pick Hopkins?  Why?

Absolutely. Though I was uncertain at the time, in retrospect Hopkins is such an obvious choice for me. I wanted a mid-sized city school on the East Coast, I knew I was interested in medicine but wasn’t sure about being a doctor, I enjoy a challenge, and I wanted something new. Looking back, I can’t believe I didn’t know Hopkins was the perfect fit. Beyond the obvious demographic and academic facts about Hopkins, this place has challenged and surprised me in ways I could never have predicted before I got here.

Hopkins goes abroad! 

5. What was your perception about Hopkins before enrolling and how has it changed since then?

I had heard, as many people have, that Hopkins’ single focus, and single strength, was in science. I wasn’t too wary about this, being fairly sure I wanted to pursue a scientific major in some way, but regardless, it couldn’t be more wrong. Hopkins’ students are what drew me to this place, and I’ve never met a more diverse, multitalented, interesting and interested group of people. The academic strengths of the university run the gamut from Engineering to Art, and the students’ interests reflect this variety as well.

The things I’ve been able to do at Hopkins speak to the range of options available to students, and even Freshmen.  I’ve studied abroad, interned in so many different places, been able to become really involved in my on-campus activities, volunteered at a high school, gotten a job.

hopkins takes on penn–visiting high school friends!

6. What is/was your favorite class?

I’ve really enjoyed a number of classes, and I think right now it’s tied between American Bibles, and Health, Development and Inequality: A View From Latin America. American Bibles was a great English class I took freshman year, examining the role of religion in American literature. The latter is a class I’m taking now, taught by a visiting Professor from the University of Bogota in Colombia.

homecoming 2010

7. Describe your funniest memory or experience at Hopkins?

My favorite memories here have just been with my friends and roommates, relaxing in our respective rooms and apartments. Big events on campus that have been hilarious include everything from “Snowpocalypse” to a fraternity re-enacting the battle scene from Braveheart on the beach.

8. How would your college experience be different if you hadn’t chosen Hopkins?

I can’t even imagine going anywhere else. Hopkins is a very singular experience, and if you fit here, you’ll love it. Hopkins has made me a more interesting person. The school has an incredible level of diversity, any way you measure it, but the common thread is passion, and intelligence. Being exposed to so many dynamic, talented people on a daily basis inevitably has an impact on you. I know I’ve been inspired to do some of my favorite things here by the people I’ve met—my friend Claire who spends her summers saving the world, and has lived everywhere from rural India and Senegal to Paris, or Sam, who leads every single student group I’m involved with, and who I fully expect to see on the cover of the New York Times one of these days. Knowing and learning with these people has been a privilege, and I can’t imagine having gone to college anywhere else.

10.  What advice would you give to a high school senior choosing their college?

Visit! Colleges blur together into an endless blob of shiny brochures and fun facts if you don’t actually step foot on campus. Meet some students, eat in the cafeteria, find out where the best coffee is, walk through the library. This could be your home for the next four years, take a closer look!

my roommate and I, after running the baltimore half marathon

Hope this helps you make your own college decision. I couldn’t be happier that I’ve spent the last three years at Hopkins, and I only hope you find wherever it is that makes you feel the same.

Happy choices!

-Lauren B.

Seriously. Maybe it’s because I’ve decided to take Microeconomics for the fun of it. I stare at graphs representing wheat and corn production (today we expanded to…cheese!). And I’m reminded why I just couldn’t be an economist: because of the pessimistic social sciences outlook that comes with the field in comparison to the optimistic outlook to the public health one that I’ve cherished.

The Production Possiblities Frontier/Curve - http://www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/0010370303004.png

Confused? Take the first lesson of economics: the Production-Possibility Curve. It’s basically a curve that shows the different rates of production of two goods (say, wheat and corn). The thing that bothers me is that there is a maximum. Yes, I’m annoyed by points on a curve. Annoyed that there is, as the professor says, a God-given maximum amount of corn and wheat that can be produced.

Basically, finite resources annoy me.

Frustrated by this, my mind starts racing. Does this mean that there is a maximum amount of valentines that can be produced? According to that economic outlook apparently there is. Fortunately, that number must be pretty high. Although the definition of a valentine these days is fairly loose. According to the trustworthy broken like citation on Wikipedia, if we narrow it to just cards, we’re already producing 190 million valentines  each year in the US.

***

Where am I going with this? You see I, the senior at Hopkins, have something in common with most of the seniors in high school reading this. The chances of us facing rejection (or already having faced rejection) not once but multiple times, based purely on probability, is quite high. Rejection seems inherent with life planning, and thus of being a senior. And for good reason. I hate to admit that the economic outlook may be right. Maybe I should just state it: there is a finite amount of spaces in the Hopkins Class of 2015.

This is scary especially for students that who have a history of being successful and enjoy challenging themselves, like many of you reading this I’m sure are. I can’t deny that being accepted had become a way of life for me prior to entering college. I just expected that I would get into the programs and positions that I found myself into. And having applied early decision to Hopkins, even though I didn’t expect to be accepted, I still didn’t have to face regular decision rejection.

Even scarier, is the real world: there is sometimes just one job opening with an organization, just one honor being given out, and just a small number of grants that can be awarded (yuck, financial limitations). And, unfortunately, in the real world rejection often comes first. As in, it may take lots of rejection before the puzzle pieces (of life?) fall in place.

Depressing? Not exactly. Having already faced rejection more than once this school year, I know that I’m prepared more than ever for the terrible inherent part of life. Maybe it’s maturity. But as I continue to listen to teen pop, I’d deny that theory. What I do know that my senior year mindset is better than my 5^th grade mindset after having just found out that I didn’t make the 5^th grade traveling basketball team.

***

So, with that, I’ll share with you my mindset/advice in hopes that you too will be prepared for whatever life has in store for you:

My friend Mohammad and me at my birthday party.

1. Appreciation.

My Grandma Lynn writes the best cards. This year’s birthday card was all about how she had a feeling that this birthday was going to be a memorable one simply because of how much I had to appreciate from my friends to my school which has given me, as she puts it, a deepened concern for the world and confidence. She is totally right. I am so appreciative of what I do have and of just where the support has gotten me to be able to apply to competitive opportunities. Surrounding myself with good friends to keep me upbeat is the biggest blessing in my life.

2. Rant.

Rejection can lead to some pretty ugly emotions. Feelings of jealousy. Feelings of self-worthlessness. Feelings of regret. Suddenly, every single question in an interview or every single part of an application comes rushing back. Sure, there are ways to approve from your mistakes but it’s also important to not get too nitpicky about potential faults. What’s my best cure to make sure my emotions don’t get out of control? Find an outlet to rant.

JHU_Lauren C and me frolicking and being ourselves.

3. Be yourself.

I’m definitely made this mistake before and it makes rejection hurt that much more. It’s really important to make sure that I’m doing activities that I enjoy and planning out my life for myself. It’s important to be unique in an applicant pool. Too often I’ve found myself stuck trying to shape myself into the person that I think the selection committee is looking for.

4. Matchmaker.

This is definitely another trap that I’ve fallen into. It’s important to remember that positions (and university’s) play a game of matchmaking. Having watched seniors go through the job hunt before, I’ve noticed how acceptances come when the position truly matches one’s interests and passion. Because of this, sometimes I find it good to see a rejection as an indication of a bad match.

5.  Oh, Life.

But sometimes the position seems to have been too perfect for me to be seen as a bad match. And in those cases, I think about fate. I will definitely say that I’m a believer in fate. There are some things that cannot be controlled. Sometimes it’s hard to understand why things didn’t work out the way they were supposed to. I hate to be cliché but everything happens for a reason. Rejection from one school could lead to accepting an awesome place at say, Johns Hopkins! Or rejection could lead to challenging yourself even more.

6. Safety.

Thinking through my options has definitely helped me. In high school, knowing that I had safety schools that I would be happy going to made me OK with the thought of facing rejection from my reach schools. Now, as I prepare for the real world, knowing that there are internships available or Hopkins jobs to consider in case I don’t get my top choices has helped me cope with rejection.

7. Optimism.

Telling my friends who have graduated and haven’t found a full-time position to stay optimistic is hard. The best way to stay optimistic I find is remembering that it only takes one chance encounter or one job application to get accepted.

And, with that, I am prepared for senior spring. To not be afraid to apply for an opportunity, because, well, what’s the worst that could happen? Rejection. And, well, even in a finate world, I think I can handle that one.

Howdy y’all! Once again, let me apologize in advance for what I anticipate will be a long blog entry.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’ve been having mini epiphanies lately and I wanted to share them. Maybe if you’re aware of them before you enter college you’ll be somewhat cognizant of them. K here goes nothing…

Exploring Hampden and someone had this cute wall e thing on the porch...

Basically, I was sitting down thinking  how I had spent my last 2.5 years here  and whether or not I was satisfied with them. There are students here who do so much: they travel the world, they serve, they effect change, they set the bar, they have fun…they live life and eventually reach a comfortable level of satisfaction with regard to their experiences.

life's a blur, but why would i want to spend it focusing only on fashion? fail wet seal, fail.

Had I been doing that? I was basically like, “Dominique, if you were to graduate now, would you be satisfied with  how you spent your years here? Would you look back and see that you grew as a person, tried new things, had a genuine desire to learn regardless of grades and GPA, served the community around you, used Hopkins in as many ways possible,  had FUN…??”

And in that moment I had to be honest with myself and say no. No, I would be nowhere near satisfied if I were to graduate now. BAM…it hit  me like a ton of bricks. My freshman and sophomore years weren’t spent doing many of the things I mentioned above.  Yes, I’m in cool clubs and organizations  like this one :) , I’ve taken amazing classes, and I have met people here that have changed my life forever…but that’s not where I want things to plateau. I want to be able to look back on my 4 years here and say that I truly tried my best to get all that I could out of my Hopkins and Baltimore experience. Who would want to remember their college years as boring and overwhelmed with studying? I sure don’t! In the end, we’ll all have some kind of job, will get into some type of grad school, and have a life. But it’s hard to keep  that big picture perspective when all you can see is is your present…right?

group picture!

My freshman year was a blur of stress, anxiety, uncertainty and close mindedness. I forsook going out  and exploring and doing community service because I was always too worried about doing well in school (plus back then I was cheap and didn’t like spending money haha). I’m telling you, I was so obsessed with trying to do well! I was always concerned about grades and it was like an unrelenting dark cloud always over me.  I was allowing myself to become a slave to the schoolwork monster. Even looking back at my freshman year blogs, I mostly wrote about school and stress because that was what was always on my mind.  Not a good look! This is why I always tell freshmen to go out and ENJOY their freshman year, because there is no other like it. Don’t worry about grades so much, and focus on doing your best instead. Everyone in grad school, med school, and with jobs most certainly did NOT have 4.0′s!

My sophomore year was nowhere as bad in terms of worrying about grades, although I did have more than my fair share of rough moments. I would say that my sophomore year was more about maturing as a person and all of the emotions that went along with that, although I still wasn’t as dynamic as I would have liked to be.

Where does that leave me now? For one, I am nowhere as obsessed with grades and my future as I once was. It’s like I’m a different person, and it is so freeing. I am genuinely enjoying school and honestly I am not sure how many people can say that. I truly believe that you can only do that once you allow yourself to let up a little, loosen up, and just take life as it comes! Worked hard to study for an exam and failed it? That’s disappointing, TRUST me I know. Worked weeks on a paper only to get a C? Annoying…yep I know. Have friends who study minimally and still seem to do better, while you’re busting your butt to keep up with the average? YUP I know that too! But just take your lumps and move on! You can’t change what happened (most of the time) so all you can do is take it and move on and let gooooooooooooo.

see, someone was having fun! SHOUTOUT to whoever made this!

Once I got that into my stubborn head, school and life become that much better. But then there are people who say, “Oh Dominique you’re so idealistic, blase blah..”  But no, I’m not..if anything I’m being realistic because I’m learning how to accept life, for the good and for the bad.

I DO NOT want to graduate from this place feeling like I did not get the most out of it. I DO NOT want to graduate from here with regret because I spent all my time here worrying about my grades and how I’m gonna get to the next step (grad school, career, etc). I do not want to graduate and have feeling of remorse because all I could remember was studying, worrying about grades, and being envious of other people.

I’m learning to love learning,  for the SAKE OF LEARNING. Without consideration to GPA or how this can advance my career or make me a better grad school applicant. Foreign concept for many but a great one to try and grasp.

So where does all this leave me?

I’ve finally signed up for a volunteer organization, where I’ll be tutoring GED students 2hrs/week. I’ve started to use our lovely gym and will be taking yoga, cardiokickboxing and spinning classes there soon. I’m trying to shadow a public health professional just to learn more about the field. I’m going out to actual restaurants and trying new foods. I’m trying new hairstyles and new types of clothing. I’m checking books out from the library and reading them for fun. I’m going out to social events more. I’m becoming freer and freer each day and am much HAPPIER for it.

To end, here are some lyrics from a really cool song ( “Here Goes” by Bebo Norman)

“I never got anywhere by running away, I never learned anything without a mistake. I never loved anyone by playing it safe…Never lost and never found are one in the same.”

Keep this in mind prospective students, as you fight your way to schools of your choice. Choose places you know you’ll be happy at and places with a variety of academic and social perks. I know people talk about Hopkins as being boring but that simply is not true…I’m still overwhelmed by all that the school offers its students and I’m going to do my best to do more of them, until I graduate.

Your life is your story…what will you make out of it?

Until next time!

Dominique

The Bowlers' family picture from the TV show 1900 House. Photo credit: http://www.current.org/prog/prog0010house.html

Background:

In terms of favorite childhood television shows, I think I was an atypical child. By the end of elementary school, my top picks were NBC’s Early Morning Show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and the 1900 House. The 1900 house was actually considered a reality TV show. It was about a modern family that tried to live in the way of the late Victorians in 1900 for three months in a modified house. I loved it.

For me, it was in many ways a psychology experiment. So where am I going with this?

In October, way back when, I admitted to my addiction with The New York Times, one that also has been a favorite of mine since elementary school. I posted a blog about how to be happy in college based off of an article from The New York Times. One of the biggest pieces of advice in the article was to wean yourself from devices:

“Devices have become security blankets. Take the time to wean yourself.

Start by scheduling a few Internet-free hours each day, with your phone turned off. It’s the only way you’ll be able to read anything seriously, whether it’s Plato or Derrida on Plato. (And remember, you’ll get more out of reading Derrida on Plato if you read Plato first.) This will also have the benefit of making you harder to reach, and thus more mysterious and fascinating to new friends and acquaintances.”

This piece of advice really spoke to me. The truth is that I can’t deny that I own an iPhone and although, for the majority of my college classes I’ve taken notes by hand, I do sometimes fall into the trap of bringing my laptop to class. However, after reading this article and being told by a friend that I should spend as much time on my iPhone as I do going to the bathroom (given that this was when I was trying to prove my friend wrong through Wikipedia on my iPhone), I decided to give this whole weaning thing a try. Honestly, who wouldn’t want to start reading more Plato and come off as fascinating to new friends? It was a psychological experiment of sorts.

I would go “old school.”

Photo credit: http://www.library.jhu.edu/collections/specialcollections/archives/womenshistory/chapter5.html

Methods

I would live in an internet-less, TV-less, and microwave-less studio apartment for the semester and follow my insanity along the way or maybe just my increased rate of reading Plato, as predicted by The New York Times.

Results

During the first couple of weeks, I definitely felt myself going through withdrawal. Eventually, and after dealing with Comcast’s incapability to promptly set up internet, this wore off and I decided to stick with it. Along the way, as I’m sure can be explained by a psychology theory, I started catching myself picking up, even going out of my way, to acquire more “old school” ways.

- I decided to take Black & White Film Photography.

- I wouldn’t mind going a day with my phone left back at my apartment. In fact, I would frequently just simply let my cell phone’s battery die.

- I started competing with another senior on who could have the lowest monthly electric bill. We ended it in a draw.

- And then I decided that the best use of time this summer would be to bike cross country to visit my relatives rather than to simply fly (more on this later).

- I asked my for a world map for Christmas. Because, well, Google Maps is just not the same.

The biggest world map I've ever seen... thanks Dad!

- By the last week of the semester, I was completely fine living in a furniture-less room

Discussion

What did I get out of all of this?

1. I did not automatically start reading Plato (or going to the gym).
2. Instead I slept whenever I was in my room. (Possibly the biggest benefit). Those late nights of catching up on Glee and Gchatting in bed suddenly disappeared.
3. Good grades. Although, I found myself spending a lot of time socializing in the library, I nevertheless spent a lot less time preoccupied in my room and a lot more time sleeping.
4. I got a little carried away in the kitchen. I mean there wasn’t too much to do in my room but eat and sleep. Without a microwave, I found myself getting take-out a lot. However, given the time, I could get a little carried away in the kitchen. See the picture below of my Ireland cake. I made it for my friend Mohammad who received a Mitchell Scholarship to attend graduate school in Ireland next year. Like my 5 billion white chocolate Euro pieces representing the bailout?

5. I learned that the digital camera is popular for a reason but film photography deserves respect. I had no idea that film photography involved such an expensive, tedious, though magical, process. After taking the photos, I had to process my negatives (which first involved sitting in a dark closet in order to get the film on a reel), set up the lab, develop my film, then keep developing my film until the print was perfect, and then finally mount it. (I’ll try to get my final photography in a blog but currently they’re in Baltimore).

   

   Photo credit: http://www.tpub.com/content/photography/14209/img/14209_266_1.jpg

6. People really do think of me as “old school.” My final photography project led me to a food kitchen where I was, of all places, called “old school” for having a film camera and told to “upgrade.”
7. A furniture-less room really does echo.
8. Rarely are any of my emails so time sensitive that they need to be answered that same day, therefore not checking my email until the afternoon is completely fine.
   
9. Although I don’t think I came off as the mysterious senior to anyone, as the NY Times article hinted at, I noticed that my friends started being sympathetic towards me and my living conditions.
10. The MSE library internet is not half as bad as people say it is! It’s pretty reliable and is existent. I think people just have high expectations these days.
11. When in my room, phone calls and text messages from friends were especially appreciated.
12. It’s really hard to turn off a smoke alarm at 3 am with no furniture in the room.
    
13. According to JHU_Josh, I was late finding this gem on Youtube: Katy Perry sings \”Hot N Cold\” with Elmo on Sesame Street!

Conclusion

Just yesterday, I paid my portion of the internet bill for my new apartment. It was the official end to my experiment. One that I’m so glad I threw upon myself but am also glad has ended.

The other day, my dad watched me as I started preparing to work on an essay on the plane. He didn’t realize that, for this particular essay, it would involve no books. Instead he watched as I found peer-reviewed articles online and looked up if there were electric outlets on the plane. He didn’t realize that it would be nearly impossible for me to write this particular paper without a computer. This of course got me thinking. What I did this past semester is nothing novel. In the United States, the majority of people who have passed through this nation’s university system were used to days without genius phones, internet, and digital cameras. It’s really amazing how fast the typical US college life can change.

Even just for myself as a senior. Although I can relate my Hopkins experience with current underclassmen, there are some things that have been a part of my Hopkins experience that I know won’t be for underclassmen. For example, I was one of the last students to use the wet darkroom in the Mattin center. This semester was the last time that film photography was offered on the Homewood campus. Last fall, I was one of the last students to have been taught by “Reds” WOLMAN. This probably also means, I was one of the last students to be taught with a slide projector.  Any future Hopkins student will quickly learn how important the Wolman family was, and still is, to Hopkins and to environmental engineering.

The point is, soon us 1980s babies will no longer be on the Homewood campus as students. And although that means that some “old school” Hopkins opportunities that I have gotten will not be offered to other students, it doesn’t mean that students shouldn’t feel that they can’t wean themselves off of the “security blanket” that society has created.

So, go ahead, maybe not as much as I did, but try and see if you have better luck at getting yourself to read Plato by weaning yourself off of electronic devices…

Firstly, congratulations to the newly admitted members of the class of 2015!

I must apologize for my lack of blogging. I think I’m not the only one to admit that the end of the semester seems to fill up with an unmanageable workload that somehow becomes manageable. Just a day after my last final, I relied on friends (and their Zipcar driving, recycling, storage, and plant-sitting abilities) to make sure I was completely moved out of my apartment.

Why? Um, well, because my life would just not be nearly as exciting if I stayed put in the same room for longer than 4 months. Actually, that’s a lie. I’m a bit tired of living in piles. The truth is that I originally was going to graduate a semester early but decided that a Hopkins education was just too valuable to cut short.

And, well, now, I’m currently headed on a plane with my dad to Guadalajara, Mexico to visit my grandma who I haven’t seen in at least four years. The speed of my life, at 21 years of age, is already uncomfortably fast and about the only thing I’ve been able to plan ahead of time for is Christmas shopping. Where am I going with this?

There’s no denying that, at this perceived rate of time, I’ll be a college graduate before I know it. So, faced with uncertainty ahead, what is keeping me from having an anxiety attack?

Well, this past semester I had the chance to spend time with a few of my favorite female Hopkins graduates. Suddenly the answer became clear. It’s… them – those that were just recently in my shoes and managed to get through this life transition. Not just to get through it, but to succeed.

I introduce to you a few of those inspirational hens making up the party of Blue Jays  (Did you know all female birds are called hens? And that a group of Blue Jays is called a party or a band?! Proof: http://www.birdnature.com/groupnames.html)

Why just females? Well, partially because if I highlighted the male graduates, I would need a much longer flight to write this blog. But, also, because it wasn’t until 1970 that women were even able to step foot on the beloved Homewood campus as undergraduates. Due to this male advantage, the alumni sex ratio is not exactly even, so it’s important to highlight successful female alums.

Steph (center) and Janine (right) – two public health studies graduates -

Where are they now? Less than a year since graduating, Steph is now at Columbia pursuing a Masters in Public Health and Janine is at Harvard Med. Whether they know it or not, I’ve  looked up to these two since I stepped foot on campus.

I met Steph as a pre-frosh and she has continued to energize me. She kept herself busy at Hopkins and seemed to play and run nearly every club and intramural sport out there while still playing in the orchestra, working at student life, and cooking as if she had a family to feed. Throughout all of this, she inspired me to take beautiful notes in epidemiology and even helped design the my JH portal that so many of you newly admitted students will simply take for granted.

Janine is well…Janine. I wish everyone when they thought of pre-med at Hopkins could picture Janine. I met her through Public Health Student Forum. In fact, I can thank her for being appointed as freshman representative.  She managed to race in cycling, become an environmental advocate on campus (which I believed led to her dressing up as a polar bear), and take off an entire semester to pursue tuberculosis epidemiology research in Morocco. Although she *only* made the third team of USA Today’s 2010 All USA Academic Team, she is definitely first team quality in my book.

Sharlene – a  ’09 public health studies graduate

Where is she now? At Google. (Now you see why it’s so hard for me to answer the – “what can a public health graduate do with a degree?” question) Residential Advisors (RAs) are meant to serve as role models for their residents. I don’t know if they do for everyone, but they definitely did for me. Sharlene was my RA as a freshman. Although I would automatically be spending time with her since she was co-president of Public Health Student Forum, I had no idea that an RA would want to make room to spend even more time with her residents but Sharlene definitely did. She would eat breakfast and study with me. She too would find time during college to run away… to the World Health Organization! Although she’s always had dreams to become a doctor (and has already decided to eventually attend University of Maryland),she is currently working at Google on the AdSense team. That’s right she’s in…advertising!

JHU_Jackie (far left) - a ’10 philosophy graduate and JHU_Michelle (second from the right) - an ’08 neuroscience graduate  - In this picture, I imagine we’re all being entertained by one of JHU_Daniel’s stories.

Ever wonder what happens to those crazy students that answer your questions at open houses or write those blogs? Well, they’ve all done some awesome things. I’ve been able to see two of my favorites Student Admissions Advisory Board alums this semester.

The first one up is Jackie. In college, she inspired me by simply being able to write philosophy papers. If that’s not enough, she is one of the best, and most dependable, study buddies I will ever have. Where is she now? Well, currently she’s on a train from CT back to our lovely nation’s capital. How do I know that? Well, we tend to talk a lot. Although, she can envision herself attending law school, she currently is working on all things social media for the No Labels movement. Let’s just say that when terms like “hyper-partisanship” are no longer used in our newspapers, I know that Jackie will have been a part of it.

And then there’s Michelle. As a freshman, I was a student with Michelle in Intro to Fiction and Poetry. I thought of her as an intimidating senior – one that I thought might break our curve (later I found out there was no curve in this class)  and wasn’t afraid of being a few minutes late to class. I highly doubt back then that I could’ve imagined regularly talking to her for the next three years. As a freshman, I admired her as a Wilson fellow taking on epilepsy research while also finding the time to act in many productions. I’m positive I wasn’t the only one admiring her; she would go on to earn a spot on the JHU Board of Trustees as young trustee. What’s she up to? She works for a small company known as glassCanopy, where she helps with marketing Silicon Valley startup companies.

Tashi (far right) – a ’10 history graduate

I’ve been so lucky that Tashi decided to stay in Baltimore this year.  This past semester, she has opened her door to her (and even her mother’s) delicious cooking more than once. She is one of the most giving and caring people that I know. Don’t believe me? She ended up having to go to the emergency room three times for a series of rabies shots all thanks to rescuing a terrified cat.  I doubt she would have believed me if I told her that, in less than a year, she would be employed as a research program assistant at Johns Hopkins Department of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. But sure enough, that’s where she is: researching (and working directly) with youth.

Well, I could keep going on and on, especially if I include alums overseas. Don’t believe me?

- There’s Jenna, a ’10 chemical and biomolecular engineering, graduate who is now in Saudi Arabia at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology getting a masters.

- And Ayano, a ’10 public health studies graduate  in Taiwan for a year as part of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship program.

- Speaking of Ayano, her childhood friend, Alexandra, is a ’10 international studies graduate who is now a Peace Corps health volunteer in Cambodia.

And I can’t even say they are the only Hopkins graduates that I know on Fulbright and Peace Corps programs…. See I really can keep going and going, but I think you see the point.

Jessica – a ’11 (let’s hope!) public health studies graduate wearing her Christmas best

Well, I currently do not feel like a college graduate nor do I have any idea what continent I’ll be on next year. Yet, I find reassurance in knowing that the above alums this time back in their senior year didn’t know where they would be now.

To the high school students out there, this blog hopefully gives you the same reassurance that it has given me. The most important thing for me to do when I get worried about the future is to look forward. And when I just can’t seem to imagine the future, I look to those friends (or even just acquaintances) who are recent graduates. So whether you have  just been denied (or even accepted) from your top choice school, the most important thing to remember is that your hard work will pay off.

For the next couple of weeks, all of the Hopkins Interactive bloggers will be writing on a common theme: our thoughts and reflections on the college application process. We’ve all been exactly where you are now and hope that sharing our experiences will help you through this momentous (but challenging!) time in your life.

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My Facebook profile picture on December 15th, 2006. Yup, I was crazy.

You, the prospective student, are thinking, “That old senior is going to blog about the application process?! I wonder if she even had to submit an application to Johns Hopkins when she applied.”

I’m thinking, “I can’t believe it’s been over four years since I was trying desperately to find ways to not be viewed as yet another applicant from New Jersey.”

You’re thinking, “But she is just another applicant from New Jersey who had an easy ride: knew Hopkins was the school for her, applied early decision, got in.”

I’m thinking, “No admissions story can truly be picture perfect. I’m so glad I’m over those dozens of college visits, financial discussions with my parents over tuition, pro-con lists to prove to others that I wasn’t just trying to follow my boyfriend to Hopkins.”

My Brazilian crew two summers ago. They definitely taught me a different way of life.

Maybe it’s actually because I’m an old hen on the Homewood campus, but I really do sympathize with prospective students. The combination of uncertainty and societal pressure to have a plan quickly turns into an unhealthy environment (and for those in New Jersey, an even unhealthier environment) for anyone planning the next stage of their life. Suddenly people do outlandish things that don’t appear outlandish until down the road in life.

I wish I could say that I was atypical, that four years ago I was completely OK with the idea of not knowing where I would be going to school the following year, that I was OK with the idea that I could pick a school that I didn’t fit into (“because I could always transfer”), that I didn’t bother to read those college ranking books that listed Hopkins boys as more attractive than Hopkins girls because I knew they weren’t worth my time (they meaning college ranking books, not Hopkins boys – whether they are worth my time is still questionable…)

Running off to DC this semester because there's nothing better than visiting a friend (and restoring sanity along the way).

In retrospect, the truth is, when I was a prospective student, I too was crazy. Although I fortunately did not resort to posting on College Confidential as my outlet about the process, I did some outlandish things. I submitted my application by paper rather than electronically because I thought it made me look more committed to the school.

Of course, in reality, this just led to the poor admissions staff having more to open and file, which of course then led to the admissions staff taking a longer time to process, which then of course led to me, the crazy applicant, worrying that my application didn’t get to Baltimore and that my dreams of Johns Hopkins were already shattered because of USPS. The truth is: my application got there and things worked out.

But now, after watching prospective students go through the same stressful cycle year after year, I have that same feeling of uncertainty for next year. Just as you, I ask: Where will I be coming home from for Thanksgiving? Will I be coming home for Thanksgiving? etc. However, unlike I was years ago, I am handling this stressful year a lot better.

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There’s no way to hide that there’s uncertainty for all of us, so instead of detailing my college application process, I’m going to give you my five best ways to control my craziness level:

1. Revert back to your childish ways.

What was I doing when I found out I got into Johns Hopkins? Watching Toy Story 2. Obviously. My idea was that I would start watching it a little before I knew decisions were coming out, I would pause it to check my email, and, if I didn’t get in, well I could always just hit play. So, go ahead, dig out your favorite Disney movie (or that Disney movie you somehow never saw but are scared to admit to your friends) and watch it.

2. Music.

So you think no one can relate to your current stress? I bet some favorite musical artist of yours can. Get out that musical artist and start well, blasting it (even if it means reverting back to your Spice Girls days)…

3. And what if your parent(s) don’t like your blasting music… Run Away.

Don’t take this one too seriously. However, the high school environment is a breeding ground for emotional stress during the fall of senior year. So, please, get away from it. Go for a drive (while blasting your music), go for a walk (while blasting your music), go to a museum (not blasting your music), etc. Just get away.

4. Be productive: Do some type of work

Sometimes for me writing a blog, doing my homework, or just doing errands helps me deal with some of my life stress by making me feel productive and somewhat accomplished.

4. Continue to be productive: Sleep, eat and exercise

There’s a public health campaign at Hopkins called SEE. It stands for “Sleep, Eat, Exercise.” Yes, even Hopkins students must be continuously reminded to do these, what would seem, obvious activities. I, the public health major, often forget how much better I feel with a sit down meal, a workout, and a full night’s sleep. These things shouldn’t be thought of as lazy or unproductive activities because they often bring out our fullest level of productiveness. Try it.

5. Mindset.

Try your best to acquire the right mindset. Maybe it’s because of the time I’ve spent abroad, but I now sometimes think Americans are crazy. Spending time abroad has helped shape the mindset I have right now. I’m fortunate to be where I’m today. I’m fortunate to live in the crazy world that has been created.  Things will work out. And, if they don’t, I have supportive family and friend members to lean on.

And, if they’re not there for me, I can always count on Buzz and Woody to be there.

And if all fails, you can just do what I did: take some sociology classes, so that you can blame the environment for your craziness.

Happy life planning!!

Jessica

(“Butterflies” is a # 1 hit from MJs album “Invincible,” from 2001.)

Howdy!

I’m gonna do a 2-part blog for the next week or so, about my experience with one of my freshman year classes and how that experience has helped me thus far at Hopkins. Which class? Chem Lab! A class required for pre med/health students and even for many engineers.

Honestly, Chemistry Lab at JHU has a bad reputation, one I heard about way before I even enrolled in the class.

“Be prepared, Dominique. It’s really hard. And ridiculous. And way too much work for a little 1-credit class. And the professor is really strict and mean and never laughs or smiles. And no one helps you or answers your questions well. The TAs are stupid and not very helpful. The professor gives everyone ethics violations for stupid things. AND ALL SHE CARES ABOUT ARE SIG FIGS.”

manual

So naturally, of course I was totally freaked out about the course before I even started. I don’t plan on being a doctor, and even back then as a freshie I didn’t plan on it (I’m doing the pre med courses just to keep my options open for things…plus pre med isn’t the only thing you can do with those courses) so people were asking me why in the world would I put myself through that torture.

So the class. Yep, it was hard and a ton of work for 1 credit. Yep, I spazzed out every lab period and had to give myself a Coldstone therapy session after every lab. Yep, I was the crazy student who would always go to the help sessions and ask 1 million questions on our online discussion forum about the homeworks. Yep, I was the one in lab who would always think she was doing something incorrectly and call the TA over a bazillion times in lab to make sure my experiment was not going awry. I did it all. Each lab period left me with some serious butterflies before and after it was over because it always made me so nervous. Looking back, that was ridiculous because it wasn’t even that bad.

But somehow, in the midst of all of my doubts with the class, I ended up doing well in the class I thought was going to be the end of me. And trust me, I am in no way a science genius or even that great in science…at all. I just figured out the secret that other students didn’t seem to find out, and it had nothing with being a genius or extraordinarily brilliant.

scribblies

What’s the secret? Well…I used all of my resources and asked for help. Duh! you say. But seriously, I was and still am amazed at the number of students who don’t learn how to use the resources available for this class. The professor, Dr. Pasternack, puts up information about the chemistry for each experiment online. She has an online discussion forum where she answers questions about the assignments, and she answers them all day every day. She has help sessions Sun-Thurs where students can come and get one on one help from TAs with the homeworks. She even answers questions during her office hours or via email for the brave students who aren’t afraid to approach her. Because I did all of these things, I was able to do well in a class, THE class that so many before had warned me about.

I truly think that is one of the hugest keys to success in college…being able to find all of your resources and knowing how and when to use them, for your advantage. You don’t have to be an Einstein genius to do well in school..it would be nice but we’re not all like that.

So if I have any advice for you all in high school, and even for you all in college, it’s to do your homework and to find out alllll of the resources available to you for a class…and then don’t be afraid to use them!

So ya, my next blog will be about why this class is still affecting me, 2 years later. ;)

Till next time!

Dominique